French downhill skier Poisson dies following training accident

French downhiller David Poisson's most successful seasons were 2013 and 2015

Sherri Watson
|
15 November, 2017, 04:40

A French national ski team veteran and former Olympian as been killed during a training run at the Nakiska Ski Area west of Calgary. Eyewitnesses report a lack of protection on the course.

A well-known French downhill skier died during training at the Nakiska Ski Area on Monday, resort officials have confirmed. Poisson, 35, is survived by his wife and eighteen-month-old son.

French media on Monday reported David Poisson, a former World Cup bronze medal victor in 2013 and competitor in both the Vancouver and Sochi Winter Games, was the skier killed while training on the Kananaskis slope Monday morning.

The federation says in a statement on Tuesday that Poisson lost a ski then fell heavily, and "might have hit a tree after going through the safety netting". "He was a bronze medallist in downhill at the 2013 World Championships and a podium finisher at the Santa Caterina World Cup downhill in 2015". An emergency team tried to revive Poisson for an hour and a half after the accident.

They've been building the course since October and there will be multiple layers of netting on the course.

"Poisson was a respected and accomplished athlete on the World Cup tour ever since his debut in 2004".

The FFS said it was in contact with Poisson's family and supporting them through the tragedy.